How long does it take to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accounting? The short answer is a full-time student will finish with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting in four years.

But a better first question might be: What happens in those four years? That answer depends on where you’d like to go with your accounting degree. At Stonehill, your courses and internships can prepare you for careers in sectors that include banking, insurance, law, government, retail and healthcare.

About the Study of Accounting

Stonehill’s accounting program combines the learning and experiences critical to success as an accountant along with the liberal arts foundation that gives you to pivot into new professional opportunities as your career interests evolve. More than a few of our accounting graduates have moved into CEO positions or started their own businesses.

What Skills Will You Learn in Accounting?

An accounting degree from Stonehill's Meehan School of Business provides students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in any number of careers in a wide range of positions in business, government and nonprofit organizations, including: 

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
  • Controller
  • Accounting manager
  • Internal auditor
  • Forensic accountant

At Stonehill, professors focus on building in students the most important qualities that businesses look for so that we stand out.

Developing Leadership Skills for Accounting Majors

Accounting majors at Stonehill are also provided with opportunities to develop leadership skills that often serve them throughout their careers. You might find yourself mentoring younger students or networking with alumni in new situations. Such experiences equip graduates to be leaders in the field but also in another area central to Stonehill’s values: social justice. 

Research for Accounting Majors

If research is one of your interests, accounting majors who have completed their first year at Stonehill have the opportunity to perform full-time, high-quality research over the summer months under the guidance of an expert faculty researcher.  A student in the Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program spends 8-10 weeks of the summer collaborating with a professor — and sometimes other students — on an original research project that fits into the faculty member’s overall research program.

The experience includes postgraduate career seminars, program-wide outings, weekly lunches, and a student poster session in the fall. SURE students generally live on campus and receive a stipend for their summer work.

Four Years of Accounting at Stonehill: At a Glance

  • Stonehill's business program is accredited by AACSB International, making it part of an elite group of higher education institutions that make up less than 5% of the world’s business schools
  • Stonehill is among the top 5% of highest paid grads with a major in accounting, according to College Factual
  • Graduates among the highest scorers on the CPA exam 
  • Enviable record of sending graduates to join major accounting firms
  • Parlay your degree into the Data Analytics Master of Professional Studies program at Stonehill.
  • Broad-based liberal arts foundation and business core prepares students with wide portfolio of skills
  • Build relationships with faculty mentors.
  • Choose from a wide-range of course offerings.
  • Sharpen your writing, public speaking and leadership skills throughout the program. Become a critical thinker and effective communicator who can adapt to an ever-changing business environment.